Trump says a scarf is better than a mask ‘in many cases’ — is that true?

US President Donald Trump has claimed that “in many cases” scarves are better than masks for protection against coronavirus.

Speaking at his daily press briefing on Wednesday, Mr. Trump said that amid a shortage of masks, people can use scarves as an alternative when outside.

“In many cases, the scarf is better; it’s thicker. I mean you can — depending on the material, it’s thicker,” the president said.

“But I will say this, they can pretty much decide for themselves.”

Earlier this week, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti recommended that residents in California buy masks, but it was clear that they should avoid purchasing ones designed for medical use.

“Please do not get medical-grade or surgical masks, or these N95 masks. We must not contribute to the shortage of these essential personal protective equipment,” he said.

In his daily briefing on Wednesday, Mr. Trump hinted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would release a nationwide recommendation on masks in the coming days, but did not specify when.

Hospitals all over the country are struggling amid a shortage of masks, but is using a scarf an effective strategy to protect against the virus?

Are scarves recommended for health professionals?

On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said scarves are “highly recommended by the professionals”, but there is little evidence to back up his claim.

Scarves are not recommended by the CDC as an effective tool against catching the virus.

On its website, the CDC recommends that doctors use a number of other items to protect their faces, including a face shield, and make clear that a bandana or scarf should only be used as a last resort.

They caution that “homemade masks should ideally be used in combination with a face shield that covers the entire front (that extends to the chin or below) and sides of the face”.

Should the public use a scarf?

With a shortage of masks across the country for medical professionals, the general public might have to make do with using a scarf or bandana while outside.

Dr. William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told CNBC that “as far as the general public is concerned, the do-it-yourself option of wearing a scarf or bandana may be the best we can do at this point”.

Although a scarf covers the face in the same way a mask does, Dr. Angela Hewlett, of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, told the outlet that “a scarf acts sort of like a handkerchief or a tissue”.

She added that “if you’re wearing a scarf around your face or another homemade mask, then there’s a chance that your secretions will be contained in that as opposed to being spread to the environment”.

Dr. You-Lo Hsieh, a professor at the University of California, echoed Ms. Hewlett’s claims and told Business Insider that cloth is a lot less effective against the virus than a medical mask.

“Common fabrics have pores too large for viruses, that are about 100 nanometers in diameter, and most airborne droplets that contain viruses,” he said.

Is using a scarf better than a mask?

Scarves are not as effective as masks in protecting against COVID-19, but they are a good alternative, especially when supplies of medical masks are low and a priority for healthcare staff.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, upwards of 273,880 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 6,889.